Recipe: Farfalle with Peas and Lettuce

the appetizer:

Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 Quick and Easy Recipes by Giuliano Hazan, includes Italian pasta recipes like Tagliatelle with Chickpeas Tagliatelle coi Ceci; Farfalle with Peas and Lettuce Farfalle ai Piselli e Lattuga; and Penne with Asparagus and Prosciutto Penne agli Asparagi e Prosciutto.

Cookbook

Farfalle with Peas and Lettuce

Farfalle ai Piselli e Lattuga

Serves 4

Although lettuce may sound like a strange ingredient for a pasta sauce, it adds sweetness and body to this one. A base of pancetta provides a savory counterpoint to its sweet flavor. The extra time needed to shell fresh peas is certainly worth the effort, but when they are not available, frozen peas will also work well.

1/2 large yellow onion
3 tablespoons butter
2 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce
1-3/4 pounds fresh peas (or 12 ounces frozen)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 sprigs flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 pound farfalle

1. Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.

2. Peel the onion and finely chop it. Put the butter in a 12-inch skillet, add the chopped onion, and place over medium heat. Sauté until the onion turns a rich golden color, about 5 minutes.

3. While the onion is sautéing, cut the pancetta into narrow strips about 1 inch long. Wash the lettuce leaves and coarsely shred them. Shell the peas, if using fresh.

4. When the onion is ready, add the pancetta and sauté until it loses its raw color, about 1 minute. Add the lettuce and the peas, if using fresh. Season with salt and pepper, add about 1/2 cup of water, cover the pan, and cook over medium heat until the peas are tender, about 15 minutes. If using frozen peas, cook the lettuce until it wilts completely, about 5 minutes, then add the peas, season with salt and pepper, add about 1/4 cup of water, and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes.

5. While the sauce is cooking, finely chop the parsley to measure about 1 tablespoon. Add it to the sauce when it has about 5 minutes of cooking time left.

6. Once the parsley is in, add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, add the farfalle, and stir well. Cook until al dente. When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce, and serve at once.

from:
Thirty Minute Pasta:
100 Quick and Easy Recipes
by Giuliano Hazan
Photographs by Joseph De Leo
Stewart, Tabori & Chang 2009
$27.50 US; $32.95 CAN; 100 recipes; 176 pages; 40 color photographs
ISBN-10: 1584798076
ISBN-13: 978-58479-807-1
Recipe reprinted by permission.

Buy Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 Quick and Easy Recipes

Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 Quick and Easy Recipes

Recipes
- Tagliatelle with Chickpeas
  Tagliatelle coi Ceci
- Farfalle with Peas and Lettuce
  Farfalle ai Piselli e Lattuga
- Penne with Asparagus and Prosciutto
  Penne agli Asparagi e Prosciutto